Author’s Note: It is not lost on me that life is not always gumdrops and roses. I received a heavy dose reality check last week while reading headlines on the Hartford Courant during lunch. Three aricles on their homepage “featured” a disturbing act of anti-semitism during a performance of Fiddler on the Roof in Baltimore (which we had just seen in Hartford the week prior), a disgusting story of human trafficking in a suburb not more than 30 minutes from home, and a “are-you-kidding me” case of animal cruelty in the town I grew up in. I literally lost my appetite. Not to mention the ongoing wildfires in California, chaos on the southern border and yet another damaging climate report noting that we may be at the point of no return for a permanently warming planet. Such saddness, devastation, tragedy and uncertinly is becoming too common and all the more reason to be thankful for what we have – now and every single day.
Be thankful for what you have — I am thankful for waking up today, my family, friends, health and the ability to hope, laugh and wonder. Don’t frown about what you don’t have. Experiences matter, stuff does not. Help others. Be nice. Smile and laugh as much as you can. Tell people how you really feel now, don’t wait. Get outside more. Turn off push notifications and alerts. Read a newspaper when you have no where to be. Drive with the windows down and your favorite music turned up. Throw your routine upside down every now and then. Okay, enough of the soap box.
As we transition into the (usually) happy holiday season, part of the magic of the season is giving. Such small acts can reap big reactions and rewards. It’s what makes the season special – and those experiences are what counts. Even more important, are the faces you may not see; adults and children in need that may sneak a smile just from a strangers’ generority. Whoever the gift recipient, there are plenty of “ways” to give — i.e., shop — Black Friday sales, Small Business Saturday, Cybermonday discounts, Giving Tuesday, and the hundreds of “coupon-emails” you will no doubt receive from any business you ever shared your email with! Shop local whenever possible, as it has been estimated that 2/3 or $0.67 of each dollar spent locally STAYS in the local community. If that’s not an economic development plan, what is? To fulfill some of your gift giving needs, with a nautical or coastal twist, check out these Cape Cod shops!
Gift Shops on Cape Cod
Barry’s Barn, East Dennis. Painter C. Barry Hills, runs a small botique gift shop just off scenic Route 6A in East Dennis, a few minutes away from the popular greasy spoon, Grumpy’s Restaurant. The two-story, charming half gift shop/ workshop (upstairs) barn behind his home, features a mix of paintings, gifts, home decour and garden accents for coastal living with a touch of vintage. Whenever we have a lazy day along 6A, stopping at “the Barn” to poke around is a requirement. Our “Cape Escape” themed living room has a few pieces from “the Barn.”Christmas Joy, South Chatham. Their tagline rings true, “where you can 
experience the joy of Christmas everyday!” Sure, Christmas shopping in shorts and sandals may seem a little odd in the northeast, but there are so many creative works and fun little games, puzzles, etc, that it’s hard not to get lost in this seasonal escape. The store is also the anchor of the South Chatham village and business community, surrounded by two restaurants, hardware store and branch library.
experience the joy of Christmas everyday!” Sure, Christmas shopping in shorts and sandals may seem a little odd in the northeast, but there are so many creative works and fun little games, puzzles, etc, that it’s hard not to get lost in this seasonal escape. The store is also the anchor of the South Chatham village and business community, surrounded by two restaurants, hardware store and branch library.
Hattie D’s, Harwichport. Hattie D’s was a new discovery this year during an autumn “slow ride” down Route 28 to the Bourne Bridge. The small gift shop and art store features a mix of antique decorative pieces, home furnishings, lighting as well as a robust “create-your-own” art supply section. What distinguishes Hattie D’s from other stores is their decorative art classes, led by three different artists, with a cap of 10 people per session. We left the store with a discounted Halloween decoration and felt satisfied with the surprise stop.
Just Picked, Yarmouthport. Located at a dangerous intersection (blind curve) along Route 6A and Willow Street, Just Picked features three “departments,” coastal clothing, gifts and home furnishings, played out in two buildings. Perhaps most important, Just Picked carries many of the same items that other stores price higher (notably accent pillows, fun signs, and decorattive ornaments). The store is clean, decorated for the season, and a fun game or humorous gadget seems to always be displayed at the register. My favorite game is their Cape Cod trivia cards. For a small shop, they also have an online store.
Monomoy Salvage, Chatham. If owner Carol Sherman did not set up some of her nautical antique items outside the barn-size gift shop, you may not see a reason to stop. The white one room barn, with faded front signage, isn’t much to look at, but don’t let that fool you. The broken sea shell driveway is a red carpet to some pretty cool finds. A mix of “salvaged” nautical instruments, signs, antique paintings and coastal home furnishings are the core contents. On the other hand, what makes the place unique is there collection of whales, wine crates, mermaids, baseball memorbilia and oars. Where else have you those items mentioned in the same sentence!
Shor, Provincetown. The up-scale home furnishings store is located in the heart of Commerical Street, and invites you to see Herbert and Kevin at work with interior design projects. It’s not a large store – more of a mini showroom – but they have items you may have not seen before. (A circular mirror surrounded by two dozen white oars was particulary impressive.) The store definitely has a “be careful, don’t touch that” feel to it, but the doors are open.Tale of the Cod
, Chatham. Located at the “tail end” of downtown, Tale of the Cod is one of my favorite stores, if not just for the perfect name. The transformed sea captains home is a series of displays within just three rooms, but it feels much larger with alcoves and the long and narrow home furnishings area. The inspiration for our (7-foot) seashell tree and many of the first ornaments came from their displays. Fast forward to present day, their Scout line is 
another perfect fit for our furry child!There are many other local stores: surf shops, pet stores, clothing stores and other specialty goods stores, all of which are worth mentioning, so stay tuned for more shopping tips!
As a teaser, my go-top surf shop is Pump House in Orleans; pet shop is Barkers, Orleans; gear rental is Chatham Kayak Company; hot food to go is Chatham Fish and Lobster, sandwich shop is Corner Store, coffee shop is Chatham Perk, brewery is Devil’s Purse in Dennis, and clothing store is Black Eel Outfitters in Dennis. Breakfast and lunch spots leaving the Cape are Marshland and Beth’s Bakery, Sandwich, respectively.
